Tooth-brush.



D. WEISS.

TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.14, 1912.

1,086,006, Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co.. WASHINGTON. 0. c4

DAVID WEISS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TOOTH-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application filed December 14;, 1912. Serial No. 736,715.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID Wnrss, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Brushes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in tooth-brushes, and pertains more especially to a tooth-brush which has two tooth-brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of the handle of the brush and in position side by side when ready for use and in said position being locked against swinging laterally and outwardly into a position back to back but free when unlocked to be swung laterally and outwardly into their last-mentioned position so as to permit the brush to be inclosed in a shallow pocket-case'.

One object of this invention is not only to have the brush-carrying stock of each toothbrushing section mounted on and operatively connected with a shaft extending into and having bearing in the handle and to have the stock removable from said shaft so as to permit the renewal of the stock and its bristles when the bristles have become inefficient by wear but to have the means employed in de tachably securing the stock to the shaft inaccessible whcn the two brushing sections are in position side by side and ready for use and only accessible upon swinging said brushing sections from said position into a position back to back.

Another object is not only to have the shaft of each brushing section operatively provided within the handle with a gear and to have the gears of the shafts of both brushing sections meshing with each other but to have the handle comprising a case which not only incloses said gears but is only composed of a member affording bearing to and instrumental in supporting said shafts and embraced by a removable cap.

Another object is to provide simple and inexpensive means for positively locking the brushing-sections when they are in position side by side and ready for use against swinging laterally and outwardly into a position back to back and to have said locking means capable of being conveniently rendered inoperative preparatory to swinging the brushing-sections laterally and outwardly into their 1ast-mentioned position.

Another object is to utilize a locking member employed in preventing swinging of the brushingsections laterally and outwardly into a position back to back for locking the aforesaid cap in place relative to the aforesaid shaft-supporting member.

Another object is to render the mechanism employed for swinging the brushing-sec tions laterally simple and inexpensive, and to utilize the aforesaid locking member in actuating said mechanism.

With these objects in view, and to the end of attaining any other advantages hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certain features of construction, and combinations and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings. I V

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a face view, largely in central section, of my improved tooth-brush. Fig. 2 is a face view of the forward end-section of the handle and con' nected tooth-brushing sections but shows the member, which is employed in looking the brushing sections against swinging laterally and outwardly into a position back to back, swung into a nonlocking position. F ig. 3 is a transverse section on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. t is a view, largely in central section, of the forward end-section of the handle and connected tooth-brushing sections and shows the brushing sections in the position into which they are swung preparatory to placing said handle-section and connected brushing sections into a pocket-case. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6-45, Fig. 4;. Fig. 7 is a side view of an open pocket-case in which the forward end-section of the handle and connected brushing-sections and the intermediate handle-section and rear end-section of the handle are com actly arranged. The tooth-brush is shown full size in Figs. 1, 2, and 7, whereas Figs. 3, 4i, 5 and 6 are drawn on an enlarged scale, Figs. 5 and 6 being drawn on a larger scale than Figs; 3 and 4.

Referring to said drawings, A indicates a metal cap instrumental in forming the forward end-section of the handle of my improved tooth-brush; B, the intermediate section of the handle, and C, the rear endsection of the handle. Said handle-sections are arranged in line endwise. The rear endsection C of the handle is provided at its forward end with a tubular coupling-member 10 embracing but removable from the intermediate handle-section B, as shown in Fig. 1. The intermediate handle-section B is provided at its forward end with a tubular coupling-member 11 embracing but removable from the cap A of the forward endsection of the handle, as shown in Fig. 1. The cap is provided at its rear end with a head 12. The forward end-section of the handle (see Fig. 4) is provided interiorly with a chamber 16 formed by and within the rear portion of the cap A.

The brush-proper of my improved toothbrush comprises two tootlrbrushing sections D and E. Each brushing-section comprises a stock F and tufts f of bristles. The stocks F are arranged at and forward of the forward end of and in line endwise with the handle and side by side and flush at their faces when the brushing sections D and E are in position ready for use as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5. The tufts f of said stocks project from said faces in the same direction in said position of said brushing sections, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The stock F of the brushing section D is mounted on and operatively connected with a shaft 20. The stock F of the brushing section E is mounted on and operatively connected with a shaft 21. The shafts 20 and 21 are parallel and spaced laterally. The shaft of each stock F extends into and longitudinally of said stock and from the rear end of the stock into and longitudinally of the forward endsecti0n of the handle and through the chamber 16 in said handle-section and has bearing in and is supported by a member 17 which forms the forward end wall of said chamber and is instrumental in forming a case which comprises the cap A and incloses two gears 22 and 23 arranged within said chamber and formed on and shown integral with the shafts 20 and 21 respectively, which gears are arranged between the shaft-supporting member 1 7 of said case and the head 12 of the cap A. Said gears mesh with each other and establish operative connection between the shafts. The shaft-supporting member 17 is provided externally (see Fig. 4) with a rearwardly facing shoulder 18 against which the cap A abuts at its forward end. The cap A is slipped onto the shaft-supporting member 17 from the rear end of said shaft-supporting member and is removable rearwardly from said shaftsupporting member. Of course the shafts 20 and 21 and the shaft-supporting member 17 are as sembled preparatory to the application of the cap A to said shaft-supporting member.

It will be observed therefore that the handle not only comprises a case lnclosing the gears 22 and 23 but that said case consists of only two members,the shaft-supporting member 17 and the cap A,and is consequently exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction.

To permit the renei 'al of the stocks F and their bristles when the bristles have become ine'liicient by wear the means employed in detachably securing said stocks to the shafts on which the stocks are mounted are applied in such a manner as to be not only out of the way so as not to interfere with the efliciency of the brush but actually inaccessible when the brushing sections are in position side by side and ready for use and only accessible upon swinging the brushing sections laterally and outwardly into a position back to back. Preferably the stock of each brushing section is provided at its side which is adjacent the other brushing section when the brushing sections are in position side by side and ready for use, as shown in Fig. 3, with a screw 1 which is screwed into said stock at said side of said shaft and arranged centrally between the face and the back of said stock and extends into engagement with said shaft and clamps the shaft to the stock. A. withdrawal of said screw to the extent required obviously permits said stock to be withdrawn from the shaft forwardly to be replaced by another stock having new bristles. The

stocks F have their adjacent sides abutting against each other, as shown in Fig. 3, when the brushing sections are in position side by side and ready for use, and it will be observed that the screws I, being applied to said stocks at said sides as hereinbefore described, are not only out of the way and do not interfere with the efficiency of the brush but are inaccessible in said position of the brushing sections and only conveniently accessible when the brushing sections have been swung into a position back to back as shown in Fig. 4. Said stocks are rounded or contoured, as at 24, at their backs and at said sides, as shown in Fig. 3, as required to render said brushing sections capable in said position of being swung laterally and outwardly into a position back to back as shown in Figs. 4, G and 7. It will be observed that during the rotation of the shafts in the required direction the brushing sections D and E are swung laterally and outwardly from the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 into the position shown in Figs. 4, G and 7 preparatory to placing the forward end-section of the handle and connected brushing sections, upon detaching the intermediate handle section from said forward end-section, into the pocket-case G shown in Fig. 7

Preferably the shaft 20 has bearing in the head 12 of the cap A and extends through said head and rearwardly beyond the outer side of said head and preferably has opposite sides of its end which is arranged at said side of said head flattened, as at 25, as shown in Fig. 5. The shaft 21 (see Fig. 1) extends loosely througha hole 13 formed in the head 12 of the cap A and rearwardly beyond the outer side of-said head. Both shafts 20 and 21 are (see Figs. 1 and 5) shown projecting into a chamber 141 formed in the forward end-portion of the intermediate handle-section B, and the shaft 21 is provided within said chamber with a link or looking member H which is pivoted at one end, as at h, to the outer end of said shaft and also employed as a handle for rotating said shaft. The member H is provided with a slot or opening 26 which is engaged by the shaft 20 in the locking position of said member H (see Fig. 5) when the brushing sections are in position side by side and ready for use, and obviously the axis of said member H is substantially parallel with the tufts f and arranged substantially at a right angle to the axes of the shafts 20 and 21.

It will be observed that when the link or member H is in position embracing the shaft 20, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, both shafts 20 and 21 are positively locked against rotation. Consequently the brushing-sections D and E, when said brushing sections are in position side by side and ready for use, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, are, when the shafts are locked against rotation by the link or member H, positively locked against being swung laterally and outwardly into a position back to back. It will be observed that the link or member H is only accessible. upon the removal of the intermediate handle-section B from the forward endsection of the handle. Hence upon the removal of the intermediate handle-section B from said forward end-section of the handle and thereupon swinging the link or member H away from the shaft 20 toward and into line endwise with the shaft 21, as shown in Fig. 2, the shafts are free to be rotated, and said member H serves as a handle for rotating the shaft 21. Obviously as the shafts 20 and 21 are intergeared as hereinbefore described a rotation of the shaft 21 a fourth of a rotation to the right through the medium of the link or member H results in the swinging of the brushing sections from the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, a position back to back in which they lie in the same plane, as shown in Figs. at and 6 as required for inclosure in the pocket-case G, shown in Fig. 7.

The slot or opening 26 in'the link or member H has its side walls rounded, as shown in Fig. 6, to facilitate swinging of said memand 5 laterally and outwardly into a her onto the adjacent flattened end of the shaft 20 during the actuation of said member from its handle-forming and nonloeking position, shown in Fig. 2 into its locking position, shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The flattened end of the shaft 20 is small enough in dimensions to permit the removal of the cap A from the shaft-supporting member 17, and thehole 13 in thehead 12 of said cap is large enough in dimensions to prevent the provision of the shaft 21 with the link or member H from interfering with the removability of'said cap from said shaftsupporting member. The removability of said cap from said shaft-supporting member is not unimportant to afford access to the chamber 16 and to the gears in said chamber for cleaning purposes, and my invention comprises the locking of said cap in place relative to said shaft-supporting memher by the link or locking member H as well as the employment of said member H in locking the shafts 20 and 21 against rotation as it is obvious that said member H in its locking position shown in Figs. 1 and'5 locks said cap in place relative .to said shaftsupporting member. It will be observed also that said locking member, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, has a forward surface 27 which in the locking position of said locking member, as shown in Fig. 1, abuts against the outer side of the head 12 of the cap A, and Fig. 1 shows the rear side of said locking member abutted against by a shoulder 28 formed on and internally of the intermediate handlesection B. It will be observed therefore that the locking member H,

in its operative position shown in Fig. 1, is

snugly interposed between the intermediate handle-section B and the head 12 of the cap A and that in said position said locking member closely overlaps the sides 25 of the flattened rear end of the shaft 20, as shown in Fig. 5, and hence the brushing sections, when they are in position side by side and ready for use and locked in said position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, are positively prevented from swinging laterally and outwardly.

What I claim is:

1. Ina tooth-brush, the combination, with a handle, which has an interior chamber, of two brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of the handle, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends through and rearwardly of said chamberand has bearing in the handle and is operatively provided with a gear, the gears of the shafts meshing with each other and'being arranged within said chamber, and one shaft being provided rearwardly of said chamber with a member employed in rotating said shaft.

2. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with a handle-section which has an interior chamber; another handle-section removably attached to the first-mentioned handle-section at the rear end of said first-mentioned handle-section, and two brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of the first-mentioned handle-section, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends through the aforesaid chamber and into the second-mentioned handle-section and has bearing in the first-mentioned handle-section and is operati vely provided with a gear, the gears of the shafts meshing with each other and being arranged within said chamber, and one shaft being provided within the secondinentioned handle-section with a member employed in rotating said shaft.

3. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with a handle, and two brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of said handle, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends longitudinally of and has bearing in the handle and is operatively provided with a gear, the gears of the shafts meshing with each other and being arranged within the handle, of a movable locking member which in its operative position extends from shaft to shaft and positively locks the shafts against rotation.

4:. In a tooth-brush, the combinatioinwith a handle, and two brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends longitudinally of and has bearing in the handle, of a movable locking member which in its operative position extends from shaft to shaft and positively locks the shafts against rotation.

5. In a tooth-bluish, the combination, with a handle, and two brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of said handle, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends longitudinally of and has bearing in the handle, the shaft of one brushing section having its rear end-portion flattened, of a movable locking member which in its operative position embraces the flattened end-portion of the last-mentioned shaft, said lockin member being connected to the other shaft.

(3. In a tooth-brush, the combination with a forward handle-section forming the forward end of the handle, and another handle-section removably attached to the forward handle-section at the rear end of said forward handle-section, and two brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally, each brnslung-section comprising a shaft which extends into and longitudinally of and has bearing in. the forward handle-section, of a locking member which is arranged rearward of said forward. handle-section and in its operative position extends from shaft to shaft and positively locks the shafts against rotation, said. locking member being free to be rendered inoperative upon the separation of said handle-sections.

7. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with a forward handle-section forming the forward end of the handle, and another handlesection removably attached to the forward handle-section at the rear end of said forward handle-section, and two brushing-sections adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of the handle, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends into and longitudinally of and has bearing in the forward handle-section, of a locking member which is arranged rearward of said forward handle-section and snugly interposed between the handle-sections and positively locks said shafts against rotation, said locking member being free to be rendered inoperative upon the separation of said handle-sections.

8. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with a forward handle-section forming the forward end of the handle, which handle-section comprises a cap which is removable rearwardly from said handle-section, and another handle-section embracing and removable from said cap and provided internally of its forward end-portion with a forwardly facing shoulder, and two brushingsections adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of the handle, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends into and longitudinally of and has bearing in the forward handle-section and is operatively provided with a gear within said forward handle-section, the gears of the shafts n'ieshing with each other, of a locking member which is ar 'anged rearward of said forward handle-section and in its locking position positively locks said shafts against rotation, said locking member in said position abutting against the outer side of the head of the aforesaid cap and being adapted to be abutted against by the aforesaid shoulder.

9. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with a handle, and two brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends longitudinally of and has bearing in the handle, said brushing section having a stock mounted on and reinovably secured to the shaft of said brushing-section, and the tufts of bristles of said brushing section projecting from the face of said stock, of a movable locking member embracing one shaft in its operative position and pivotally connected to the other shaft, the axis of said locking member being substantially parallel with the aforesaid tufts and arranged substantially at a right angle to the axes of the shaftsof the brushing-sectio-ns.

10. In a tooth-brusl'i, the combination, with a handle, and two brushing sections adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of said handle, each brushing section comprising a shaft which extends longitudinally of and has bearing in the handle and is operatively provided with a gear, the gears of the shafts meshing with each other and being arranged within the handle, said brushing section having its stock mounted on and removably secured to the shaft of said brushing section and the tufts of bristles of said brushing sect-ion projecting from the face of said stock, of a movable locking member embracing one shaft in its operative position and pivoted to the other shaft, the axis of said locking memher being substantially parallel with the aforesaid tufts and arranged substantially at a right angle to the axes of the shafts of the brushing sections.

In testimony whereof, I sign the forego ing specification, in the presence of two Witnesses.

DAVID WEISS.

lVitnesses:

B. C. BROWN,

N. L. MODONNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

by addressing the Commissioner of Patent;

Washington, D. G. 

